Title: Whisper in my Ear
Author: devilishlysas
Pairing: Nylar (if that's what we're calling it) Nathan/Sylar
Summary: The twisted inner battle of the new Nathan/Sylar Character
Spoilers: Season 3 and finale - speculation on Season 5
Rating: PG-13-R
Disclaimer: I don't own heroes or its characters... sadly

Chapter 8: A Father's Love

On his 60th birthday Claire brought him a time piece, it was exquisite, the type he had always admired from afar, much like the woman herself. Her eyebrows raised as she took in his rather stunned look, the restaurant was deserted save for them, nothing was too good for the ex-president and his security staff, there was no reason for her to be coy it seemed.

"I thought it suited you." she replied softly, "I'm told it has aged incredibly well." He offered her a small smile, gently brushing the slightly greying hairs on his temples and the slight wrinkles around his eyes. 'Lies!' The other hissed violently, its impatience had only grown with time, and its control only expanded. But he wasn't wrong, his face was a lie, a subtle one, but a lie none the less, one he wore for her and her alone. She of course was three years away from celebrating her 40th birthday and looked barely past 20, he envied her ability to not have to hide who and what she was.

'I won't hide any longer.' The other warned.

'No. We can't' He agreed silently, running his fingers over the intricately carved wooden features, listening to the mechanism and finding it flawless.

"Perfect, isn't it?" Claire asked, that eyebrow arched once more and a small smirk tugged at her lips. Her thoughts were usually so carefully concealed around him, how she'd learnt to do it he had no idea, but after what had happened to Parkman, to Ma, even to Peter, she was forever cautious of letting someone into her mind. But he could read her today.

"How long have you known Claire?" he asked her pointedly, lamenting that his position had kept them apart long enough for her to slip away from him.

She shrugged, playing with the stem of her wine glass whilst watching his face carefully.

"Long enough." She replied cryptically and the wall seemed to reform inside of her mind, closing her off from him. He could push, but that would only damage her in a place she might not heal.

"You never said." He pointed out, watching as she swirled the untouched wine in her glass.

"How could I? You were President, a great leader, a revolutionary. The man that introduced the 'specials' to the world, integrating them seamlessly. Next to that, what was the death of Noah Bennet."

"He was your father Claire." He reminded her and her fingers tightened around the glass so hard he feared she would shatter it.

"You're my father. So everyone reminds me daily."

"No." He sighed, "But then you already know that as well... don't you Claire."

Her eyes narrowed and she sat back in her chair, releasing the glass as she folded her arms across her chest, the beautiful gold dress only accentuating her colouring, no doubt her picture would be half way across the globe before the evening was out, the moment she stepped outside of the relative security of the restaurant. The price of fame he supposed.

"Say it Claire... I know you're dying too, I can hear it rattling around inside there." He tapped his temple and she went unnaturally still.

"Sylar's dead."

He felt the smirk rise onto his lips, it had been an age since anyone had said that name... he missed it.

"Yes and no." He took a sip of his own wine, and stared over the glass at her, she didn't move. "Much like Nathan is neither dead nor alive."

"Is that why you killed them? For killing you... both of you?"

Nathan watched her internally and externally, trying to decipher just how much she knew, what she had pieced together.

"Nathan was already dead." He replied succinctly. "What they did was worse, they destroyed his soul."

"And Sylar's?" she prodded her eyes hard and unreadable.

"Oh I think we both know he lost his a long time ago." Nathan's left hand rose and hers mirrored his until his hand slid over hers enveloping it, the feel of her soft skin causing his breath to hitch. He hadn't touched her in years. She didn't flinch, not externally, and the internal one was so small that he easily overlooked it.

"I'm curious Claire, I'll admit this isn't the reaction was I expecting from you."

"What could I do?" She replied coolly. "You took everything from me, the only thing you left me with was a lie... a lie I needed so badly that I refused to see the truth for two decades."

"I would never hurt you Claire." He promised. "Surely you know that."

"But anyone that comes between us?" bite crept into her words and he felt their sting. "Has it never occurred to you that there was a reason I never chose to have a relationship longer than a few months with anyone." She smiled sadly and he felt the heartbreak in her eyes. "Why I cut myself of from my own Mother and brother?" They fell silent.

"Why Peter." She whispered finally. "What had he done to you?"

"He would have been your hero... as long as he was alive." The other informed her sharply.

"And you couldn't take the chance that he might be alive forever." She nodded ruefully. "Logical I suppose, in a cold hearted way."

"I grieved for him." Nathan snapped. "I never wanted him to die. I didn't push him, he jumped." He reminded her.

"Oh you pushed him." Claire's voice lost some of its casualness and her lips pressed into a thin line as she glared daggers at him. "Just not physically."

He had no response to that.

"I suppose you were right." She admitted finally breaking the extended silence of their stare.

He quirked an eyebrow in response, waiting for her explanation patiently.

"I did love you after all... just not in the way you envisioned." Her hand slid from beneath his, he let it. "I can't kill you... lord knows I've thought about it enough times, made hundreds of plans, carried some of them out." She sighed wearily, "But I never could finish them."

She dropped his eyes and rose gracefully to her feet, smoothing down her dress and brushing her gold hair out of her eyes. "You won't see me again." She promised him.

"I can always find you Claire. I always could."

Her eyes narrowed and the corner of her mouth lifted fractionally, "I didn't say that you couldn't find me. I'm telling you not to." She turned her back on him and began walking away.

"Claire!" he called, getting to his feet and roughly shoving the table out of his way, ignoring the shattering glass. "I'm your father!" he snarled.

She stopped and looked back at him over her shoulder.

"I know." The smile she offered him was so sad that he felt physically pained by it. "Which is exactly why you'll stay away."

Nathan watched her leave unable to move.

'NO!' The other roared, the compulsion to chase, to catch, to find her, take her, make her his was overwhelming. 'She's ours... mine, she loves us, we can't, won't, just let her leave!'

But his feet remained rooted to the ground, Nathan glanced down at them and smirked, his right hand flexed and he raised his head again, watching her blonde head whip behind the heavy doors and out of his sight.

'Yes we will, because she loves us... we will.'

'We can protect her, keep her safe; keep her forever.'

'We only destroy her.'

'No!'

Nathan felt the grin slide into place as his right hand closed around the left.

'Yes.'

'We're not her father!' The voice raged.

'I am.'

--- fin ---